THE ELECTION of Labour’s Senator Alan Kelly to the European Parliament at the weekend and the death of Fianna Fáil Senator Tony Kett last April means there are two vacancies in the Seanad.
Voting in Seanad byelections is confined to members of the Oireachtas, which means the Government would be certain of a majority.
Among the names figuring in speculation are unsuccessful Fianna Fáil candidate in the Dublin South byelection to the Dáil, Shay Brennan; Eoin Ryan who lost his Fianna Fáil seat in the European Parliament; Dublin Lord Mayor Eibhlin Byrne, who ran in the European elections; former senator Paschal Mooney and from the Green Party, Joe Corr, Dáil candidate in Dublin North in the last general election in 2007 and Mark Dearey, Dáil candidate in Louth.
Senator Kett was nominated by the Central Remedial Clinic and the Alzheimer Society and either of these bodies or another organisation from the administrative panel would be required to nominate his successor.
Although Senator Kelly was from the Agricultural Panel, he was originally nominated by Oireachtas members. His replacement will require to be nominated by a TD or Senator and eight other Oireachtas members must give their assent.
The election of Pat “the Cope” Gallagher to the European Parliament means there is a Dáil vacancy in the constituency of Donegal South-West which is required to be filled through a byelection unless a general election is held first.
